Submit Your US Tax Info for YouTube in Pakistan by 10 December: Up to 24% Can Be Withheld

Short answer: Every YouTube creator who earns money must give Google US tax information, even in Pakistan. Submit Form W-8BEN in AdSense by 10 December each year. If you do not, Google says it may withhold up to 24% of your total earnings worldwide.

A creator in Faisalabad opens AdSense and sees a yellow notice: "Tax info needed". Many ignore it because they do not live in the United States and pay tax to Pakistan. That is a costly mistake. This form is not about Pakistani tax. It is about how much of your Google income the US tax system may hold back.

We read Google's YouTube Help pages on submitting US tax info on 13 October 2026. Everything we attribute to Google below comes from those pages. We did not submit a form for this guide.

Google asks every monetized creator for US tax info

Google's page says that all monetizing creators on YouTube, regardless of where in the world they live, are required to provide tax info. The reason is US tax rules: Google is a US company paying you, and it must know who you are and which country you pay tax in.

For a person outside the US who owns the income, the usual form is W-8BEN. Companies use W-8BEN-E. A US citizen or resident uses W-9. Google's page also lists W-8ECI, W-8IMY and W-8EXP for special cases that most Pakistani creators will not need.

This form does not replace your Pakistani return. You still declare YouTube income in Pakistan, as set out in the guide on declaring YouTube and TikTok income in your FBR return.

The deadline is 10 December every year

Google tells creators to submit a tax form, and if eligible claim a tax treaty benefit, by 10 December each year. It also asks creators to check their tax info every year, even if nothing changed.

A submitted form does not last forever. Google says tax forms expire at the end of the third full calendar year after the year of signing. A form signed in 2024, for example, runs out at the end of 2027. Put a reminder in your phone for November each year.

Skipping the form can cost up to 24% of your earnings

Google says that if you do not share tax info, it may be required to withhold taxes worldwide using the maximum tax rate, and that this can be up to 24% of total earnings worldwide. Your actual rate depends on your account type and country.

Compare that with a creator who submits the form and claims the treaty benefit if eligible. Google says a treaty benefit can reduce the withholding rate for certain income types. The AdSense tax tool identifies treaty details during form submission, and the "United States tax info" section later shows the rates that may apply to your payments.

We did not find a Pakistan specific rate on the Google pages we read, so we do not give one here. Read the rate in your own AdSense account after you submit, and confirm treaty eligibility with a tax adviser, as Google itself advises.

Where to submit it in AdSense

Google's steps are in AdSense for YouTube. Use the same Google account that receives your payments.

1. Sign in to AdSense for YouTube.
2. Open Payments, then Payments info.
3. Click Manage settings.
4. In the "United States tax info" section, click Manage tax info.
5. Follow the guide to pick your form, then sign and submit.

Type your name and address in plain letters and numbers. Google says the tax form accepts only a to z, 0 to 9, spaces, hyphens and ampersands, so use letter equivalents for accented characters. Make sure your payments profile name matches exactly what is on the form.

Claiming a treaty benefit needs a tax number

Google says that if you claim a treaty benefit, you must give either a foreign tax identification number (TIN) or a US TIN. A TIN is the number a tax authority gives you. Google's page lists examples of foreign TINs from different countries and says the list is not exhaustive.

We did not confirm from that page which Pakistani number it names, so check the form's own prompts. Do not guess a number. A wrong number is a common reason forms are declined. For the money side of getting paid afterwards, read the guide to getting paid by Google AdSense in Pakistan, and for the local tax rate question see why YouTube income is not taxed at the PSEB rate.

Common questions

Do I need to submit US tax info if I live in Pakistan?

Yes. Google says all monetizing creators must provide tax info, wherever they live. Pakistani creators use Form W-8BEN if they are individuals.

What is the deadline?

Google says to submit your form, and claim a treaty benefit if eligible, by 10 December each year. Check your info every year.

What if I do not submit the form?

Google says it may be required to withhold taxes worldwide at the maximum rate. It says this can be up to 24% of total earnings worldwide.

How long does the form stay valid?

Until the end of the third full calendar year after the year you signed it. After that you must submit again, even if nothing changed.

Does this replace my FBR tax return?

No. It is a US form for Google. You still declare your income to FBR in Pakistan, under Pakistani rules.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read Google's YouTube Help page on submitting your US tax info, including the 10 December deadline, form expiry, the "up to 24%" figure and the AdSense steps. We did not read a Pakistan specific treaty rate and did not submit a form. This page is general information, not tax advice.